Home affordability calculator,
Get prepared
There are many factors that go into determining how much home you can comfortably afford — including your income, debt and desired down payment. Our affordability calculator can do some of the work for you.
Calculate affordability
Enter your monthly income or the mortgage payment you can afford, plus expenses and interest rate, to get your estimate. Adjust the loan term to see your estimated price, loan amount, down payment and monthly payment change, too.
Take the next step
Once you find a price you can afford, start a preapproval online and one of our Home Lending Advisors will follow up with you.
Mortgage affordability calculator information
Our mortgage affordability calculator helps you set budgets, plan your finances and make more informed decisions on your way to homeownership. Let's learn a little more about how to make the most of the calculator and ways to improve mortgage affordability.
How to determine how much house you can afford
Answering "How much house can I afford?" depends on various aspects of your financial situation, ranging from your income to your creditworthiness, to the total costs of borrowing and even your ongoing expenses. Using a percentage of your income can help determine how much house you can afford. For example, the 28/36 rule suggests your housing costs should be limited to 28 percent of your total monthly gross income and 36 percent of your total debt.
The mortgage affordability calculator above can help refine and tailor the estimate of how much house you can afford based on multiple factors. Note that this tool is for demonstration purposes, to help provide an estimate based on available data, and may not fully capture your exact situation. For more specific guidance, consider speaking with a qualified home lending advisor.
Calculating "How much house I can afford?" with the Chase affordability calculator
The Chase mortgage affordability calculator offers two ways of estimating your mortgage affordability, based on either:
Estimates based on income:
Once you find a price you can afford, start a preapproval online and one of our Home Lending Advisors will follow up with you.
Estimates based on monthly payments:
If you calculate affordability based on estimated payments, the calculator will ask for information about your desired mortgage, like the maximum monthly payment, term, interest rate and preferred down payment, and combine that with projected taxes and insurance costs.
You might begin by considering your personal financial situation. Do you have a clear idea of how much you can afford to pay per month? If so, the estimated payment amount could be a good starting point. If not, it may be helpful to estimate your mortgage affordability based on current income. Double check your information and note that you can adjust the loan term to see how price, loan amount, down payment and monthly payment might change.
How can a home affordability calculator help me?
The mortgage affordability calculator can potentially help you better understand your mortgage options based on your income, debts, down payment and other financial details. Informed budgeting helps many homebuyers narrow down their search to homes they can afford more comfortably, thereby aiding in financial planning and streamlining the homebuying process. You can also use the mortgage affordability calculator to explore how changes in your financial situation might affect your purchasing power, letting you make more informed decisions about home affordability.
Factors that affect mortgage affordability
The primary factors affecting mortgage affordability are:
- Credit score: A higher credit score indicates higher creditworthiness to lenders and may lead to more favorable loan terms, increasing mortgage affordability.
- Interest rate and loan term: These are major elements of your monthly payments and the overall cost of your loan.
- Cash reserves: Lenders consider the cash reserves you will have after making a down payment when evaluating your ability to handle mortgage debt. Additional funds can help improve lender confidence, potentially improving loan terms.
- Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: Your DTI ratio plays a major role in shaping your mortgage application, impacting how much lenders might be willing to lend.
- Property taxes and additional fees: Lenders weigh additional costs, such as your property tax, homeowners insurance, and homeowners association (HOA) fees when considering your mortgage affordability.
How can you increase mortgage affordability?
Increasing your mortgage affordability generally begins by assessing your financial situation based on the earlier factors, such as your current debt load, credit score, routine payments and cash reserves. A few ways you might be able to increase your own mortgage affordability are:
Reducing debts
Lowering your total debt levels before applying for a mortgage improves your DTI ratio, potentially making your application more attractive to lenders.
Improving credit
A higher score may qualify you for better interest rates, reducing the cost of borrowing. Automating repayments, consolidating debt and taking steps to improve overall credit health is a key first step possibly enhance the terms of your mortgage.
Seeking down payment assistance
Some government programs, grants or nonprofit organizations are design toed to help fund down payments for eligible homeowners. Qualified borrowers may be able to reduce the total cost of their mortgage and improve overall affordability.
Next steps
Once you’ve estimated your mortgage affordability, it might be time to start a preapproval for a mortgage. Preapproval can provide a more tailored estimate of the mortgage amount and terms that a lender may be willing to offer based on your financial profile. In some markets, a preapproval might offer you a competitive advantage by demonstrating to buyers an intent to purchase.
Affordability calculator FAQs
How much mortgage you can qualify for primarily depends on various aspects of your personal financial situation, such as your income, credit score, existing debts and cash reserves. Lenders consider these details when evaluating your ability to repay the loan.
The amount you should spend on a house will likely vary based on your financial stability, expenses and future financial goals. Some aspiring homeowners use 28% of their gross monthly income to help determine a potential budget , while others might speak with a home lending advisor to clarify their mortgage options. The Chase mortgage affordability calculator can help provide a rough estimate of a potential budget to help you determine how much to spend on a house.
There's more to buying a home than paying your mortgage. Some common upfront costs include down payment, earnest money, closing costs, and home inspection fees. Your Home Lending Advisor can help navigate the associated fees and help answer any questions.
Depending on the state you live in, and other factors, you may be able to get financial assistance to buy a home if you meet certain criteria. To start, try to search for homebuying assistance programs in your state.
Be prepared with these essential resources
Now that you have your home estimate, browse our collection of helpful articles and blog posts, use our tools to determine your mortgage payments, review current rates and see how to start your homebuying journey.
Build your knowledge
Check out our helpful how-to articles and informative blog posts, as well as things to consider before buying a home.
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Look up important mortgage terms in our comprehensive dictionary, and use our calculators to help set your budget.
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